Sony's PlayStation Vita portable has price tags that can't quite get in line.

The 3G-connected model, which originally launched for $299.99, is currently on sale at several Sony retail stores around the country for $199.97, gaming blog Joystiq reported last night. The blog called a host of Sony stores around the country, and a large majority were selling them at that discounted rate.

But there's perhaps more to this than meets the eye. Although some Sony stores are selling the device for less, Sony's own online marketplace is selling the portable for $249.99. Other retailers, including Amazon and Target, among others, are selling the device at full price.

Sony last month announced that it was dropping the price of its PlayStation Vita with Wi-Fi, as well as the Wi-Fi-and-3G model, to 19,980 yen ($212) in Japan. Although the price cut was viewed as a way for Sony to boost sales of its ailing portable -- Sony Computer Entertainment Japan President Hiroshi Kawano said recently in an interview with Famitsu Magazine that the portable was "a little behind the numbers we originally pictured" -- the company said last month that it was due to exchange rates.

At that same time, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida said that his company had no plans to bring the price cut to the U.S. or Europe. That has also been Sony's official stance. But it's unclear why some of its stores are selling the device at a cheaper rate and others aren't.

CNET has contacted Sony for comment on the Joystiq findings. We will update this story when we have more information.

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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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